THE INTERPLAY OF SOUND AND IMAGE
What I refer to as ‘mirroring’ in media describes the interplay between different artistic elements — sound, image, character, narrative — which reflect and influence one another within a creative work. In cinema, this phenomenon is particularly evident in the relationship between film scores and onscreen characterisation, where music not only underscores emotion but can itself become a character.
My passion for cinema music’s interconnectivity with visual imagery is rooted in both personal and academic pursuits. This draws upon postgraduate studies in the developmental visual language of children, as well as ongoing work in music composition, and creative writing.
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| ‘Vertigo’ (1958) |
Film music has long been understood as a tool for emotional guidance and narrative support, but its capacity to ‘mirror’ or even become a character in its own right is a more nuanced phenomenon. Classic examples include Herrmann’s swirling, obsessive motifs in ‘Vertigo’, John Williams’ ominous leitmotif for Darth Vader, and the haunting minimalism of Philip Glass in ‘Koyaanisqatsi’. Each instance demonstrates how the score can reflect, amplify, or even subvert onscreen characterisation, in dialogue with the visual narrative.
The relationship between director and composer is often a crucible for creative mirroring, as evidenced by the storied collaboration between Alfred Hitchcock and Bernard Herrmann. Their partnership was marked by a creative tension that reflected the psychological depth of the films. Among the most striking visual motifs in ‘Vertigo’ is the use of mirrors, which become central to the film’s exploration of identity and duality. Mirror shots, colour design, and framing choices, contribute to its expressionist style.
Herrmann’s musical identity was shaped by a tapestry of influences from Classical repertoire to American modernism. Before and after Hitchcock, his oeuvre encompassed radio dramas, concert works, and landmark scores such as ‘Citizen Kane’ and ‘Fahrenheit 451’. His idiosyncratic approach to orchestration, harmony, and motif, laid the groundwork for later success.
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| ‘Metropolis’ (1927) |
Fritz Lang’s silent films, particularly ‘Metropolis’ and ‘Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler’, are foundational texts in the history of cinematic mirroring. Their visual language — rooted in the angular, shadowy aesthetics of German Expressionism — established a template for the interplay between image and sound. The techniques of Expressionist painting and theatre found new life in cinema, influencing not only directors but also composers seeking to ‘mirror’ the fractured psychological landscapes of the films.
German Expressionism’s impact on cinema extended far beyond Weimar, shaping the aesthetic sensibilities of directors and composers across Europe and Hollywood. Its emphasis on abstraction, emotional intensity, and the blurring of boundaries between reality and hallucination provided fertile ground for innovative approaches to film scoring. These principles informed Hitchcock, Herrmann, and the musical language of Max Steiner.
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| ‘The Lady from Shanghai’ (1947) |
Heinz Roemheld’s score is integral to The Hall of Mirrors scene from Orson Welles’s ‘The Lady from Shanghai’. The music shapes and echoes the emotional intent; a thread woven into the visual and narrative fabric. Welles’s direction is characterised by elaborate camera work and editing, fragmenting space and perspective. Roemheld provides an emotional anchor, anticipating and responding to
on-screen events.
My engagement with the cinema organ has been both practical and reflective. An instrument designed to ‘mirror’ the action and emotion of silent films, the cinema organ exemplifies the interdependence of sound and image in early cinema. Its capacity for timbral variety and real-time improvisation enabled organists to respond dynamically to onscreen developments.
My research into the developmental visual language of children reveals parallels with the processes by which audiences ‘learn’ to interpret film scores. These involve the acquisition of symbolic understanding, pattern recognition, and the ability to make connections across sensory modalities. As a writer and composer, I have found that the principles of mirroring — reflection, doubling, transformation — are equally applicable to the structure of a poem or the variation of a musical theme. The exploration of mirroring across media is both an academic pursuit and a personal passion.
